Effect of thickness and noise on angular correlation analysis from scanning electron nanobeam diffraction of disordered carbon

Disordered carbons are of significant scientific and industrial interest for modern applications. To understand the differences in the performance of disordered carbons, it is crucial to elucidate their structure, but this is challenging due to the variation and complexity of structures they can possess: for example, different hybridizations of the carbon atoms, and significant extended-range order composed of connected rings, curved sheets and stacks. This study establishes the useful information that can be obtained from angular correlation analysis of scanning electron nanobeam diffraction patterns for disordered carbons and other materials with extended-range order. The effects of sample thickness and experimental noise are investigated, showing that it is crucial to consider their impact when interpreting the results. Furthermore, opportunities for analyzing different ranges of scattering angles are explored, for example, to access structural information about the intralayer structure of disordered carbons. These approaches could be used to access novel quantitative measures to probe the structural differences of disordered carbons and understand their properties.